Bottle washing machinery



Jan. I6, 1945. c. l. TRnER E-rAL BOTTLE WASHING MACHINERY 4 Sheets-Sheet l 'nventor Filed May 6, 1937 Jan. l, 19145.

C. L. TRIER ETAL BOTTLE WASHING MACHINERY Filed May 6,'1957 4 sheets-sheet 2 'maentor w. v7 LWL/,7 ai

omegs Jan. l5, 1945. Q L TRlER ETAL v 2,367,652'

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINERY Filed May 6, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @me 0 dm Gttornegs jam. Q-S.` C. 1 TRlER UAL 2,367,652

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINERY Filed May 6, 1937 4 Sheets-Shea?l 4 :inventor 84g U/MZM, MQW? (Ittomegs Paienad Jan. 16, 194s BOTTLE WASHINGl MACHINERY Carl L. Trier, Baltimore, Md., and Jesse W. Foil.

Barrington, Ill., assignors to Cherry-Burrell Cox-poration, Chicago, Ill., a corporation Application'May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,084 l '15 Claims. (Cl. ISS-131) This invention relates to improvements in bottle washing machinery. More particularly the present invention relates to novel improvements in mechanisms for supporting bottles while being conveyed or 'carried through the bottle washing machine, and to the combination of the improved bottle pockets or supports with the associated mechanisms for their satisfactory operation, and to the novel improvements in said associated mechanisms.

The aspects of the invention which relate particularly to the automatic bottle discharge mechanism, to the arrangements for attempering bottles intermediate individual washing operations, and to the improved washing or spraying apparatus are fully disclosed and set forth in our divisional applications entitled Bottle washer discharge apparatus, Bottle attempering apparatus for bottle washers and Washing apparatus for bottle washers, respectively, each of which was filed onApril 25, 1940.

In the conventional bottle washer of the type disclosed in the present invention, including an intermittently movable conveyor provided with transversely extending rows of bottle supports mounted on transversely extending frames, the construction normally is such as not to permit the ready removal of individual pocket supporting frames from the conveyor. The bottle supports or gripping elements used in the conventional conveyor for a bottle washer are usually not readily removable from the frames upon which they are supported or, if not supported from frames, from the conveyor.

Such ready removability of either the frames or the bottle pocket or bottle gripping mechanisms as such is a desirable feature in that it permits the ready replacement of individual elements as such replacement becomes necessary. Neither are the bottle gripping elements of the conventional type of bottle washing machines as contemplated by this invention so constructed as to grip the bottle only at spaced points about the bottle bead to thereby rigidly hold the bottle in predetermined relative position with respect to the bottle support and conveyor and yet expose substantially all of the bottle surface to the effect of the washing mechanism of the bottle washer.

affording maximum access of the washing and present invention will become more apparent to It is, therefore, the prime object of the present those skilled in the art upon the examination of the details of construction and operation of the improvements in bottle washing machinery, as illustrated in the drawings and as clearly described in the specification and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing our improved bottle washer largely in side elevation and partially in l section. l i

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view showing the loading and discharge portion of the conveyor and its associated parts fragmentarily in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view in section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view looking at a portion of the conveyor at the loading zone.

Figure 5 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view in cross secn tion through one of the bottle holding devices of the conveyor carriage.

Figure '7 is a detail view taken in section the line 'l-l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

Figure 9 is a detail view in vertical transverse section at the line 9-9 in Figure l.

Figure 10 is adetail view in section showing a modified set of spring supported bottle engaging through a soaking zone in tank I6 as indicatedat C, and thence upwardly in a partially inverted position for draining as shown at D to the washing stations E, vrinsing station F, and the chlorinating station G, to the unloading station H.

The nature of the preferred type of chain conveyor which carries the bottles from one station to another through the machine is best shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 9. 'I'here is a chain'at each side of the machine and each chain comprises inner links 25 and outer links 26 spaced by the rollers I9 which turn upon the pins 21 that pivotally connect the respective links (see Fig. 4).

during the insertion thereof, but out of contact with the pouring lip of the bottle when the clamp- Each of the inner links is formed to provide a bracket arm 28 projecting centrally. The cari `terminal portions engaged in the apertures and thereby pivoted for relative movement to the extent permitted by the abutment of their ends with the webs 3| as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Substantial compression springs 35 are interposed between each pair of relatively movable bottle supports 33 and positioned by the spring guides 36 which are riveted to the supports. These springs tendto hold the respective bottle engaging elements 33 in bottle engaging positions while permitting the forcible retraction of the supporting elements 33 by means of cams hereinafter to be described. -It is an advantage to have separate springs instead of merely making the arms of resilient material.

The spring pressed arms are limited as to movement by their hinge constructions so that the springs cannot be lost.

The arms 34 are xed to the Webs 32 by welding or otherwise. While they have a certain degree of resilience they will tend to be substantially rigid, thereby accurately determining the position of each bottle for alignment with the nozzles hereinafter to be described. Each of the arms 33 and 34 comprising a. bottle engaging pair is curved inwardly at 38 to approach the neck of the bottle behind the bead. The bottle neck is not contacted by these arms, however. Below the point 38 each of the arms is reversely curved outwardly as at 39 to extend around the bead portion of the bottle. The side margins of each arm are tted to the bead portion of the bottle to engage it with a finger-like grip action at spaced points, the arm being curved in transverse cross section so that its central portion clears the bead of the bottle, leaving almost the entire bead fully exposed. Immediately below this outward bend the arm 34 terminates at 40, its lower `corner margins being formed inwardly at 4| to act as stops limiting the downward movement of the bottle ing arms are released for bottle engagement. The arm 33 has similar marginal portions at 42 for engaging the bead of a bottle at spaced points, but arm 33 continues below the bottle to provide a cam follower 43 at its lower end. Water can find access to the pouring lip and bead of the bottle between the apices 4| of the terminal portion 40 of arm 34 and through a special opening at 44 which is provided adjacent the bead engaging portion 0f arm 33.

The illustrated construction of these arms ls not only adapted to receive a conventional bottle as shown in broken lines in Fig. 6, but will also receive with equal facility Ispecial forms of bottles such as bottles having a crown finish beyond the wash ring or bead. In either case the bead of the ,bottle is tightly engaged at four spaced points by the margins of the clamping arms, and neither the pouring lip nor any other portion of the bottle is touched by any element 0f the clamp. This leaves all portions of the pouring lip and the rest of the bottle fully exposed for the washing operation, although the bottle is rigidly supported.

If desired, the arms may be given -an extra convolution at 45 and 46 respectively, as shown in Fig. 8, to support a cheese jar 41 or the like.

These extra convolutions do not in any way interfere with the normal use of the arms for supporting bottles, the other contours of the arms shown in Fig. 8 being identical with those already described.

The particular conformation of the clamping arms as above described not merely supports the fbottles rigidly, and not merely exposes almost the entire surface of each bottle to the cleansing jets, but there is the additional advantage that the bottles are centered over the jets and there is a minimum of metallic contact of the clamping surfaces with the bottle, the quick heating and cooling of the bottle being thereby promoted.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 the movement of the jaws under pressure of spring 35 is limited, in the absence of the bottles, by engagement of the hinged ends of the jaws with the cross members 3| of the carrier frame. This arrangement is entirely satisfactory from the standpoint of the operation of the device, but where it is expedient to remove or replace the jaws from time to time, some structure such as that shown in Fig. 10 may be preferred.

In this organization the structure of the carrier frame is unaltered. The spring 35 and its abutments or guides 36 are likewise the same. The individual spring pressed jaws 330, however, have been altered by bending their hinged ends upwardly instead of downwardly as at 340. The arrangement is such that they contact each other gto limit the separation of their free ends under compression of the spring. With this type of moving clamp support it is possible for the operator to release either jaw by manipulating the pair of jaws as far as they can be pushed to one side or the other, and then withdrawing the upwardly Aformed end 340 of the jaw on that side through the aperture in frame element 3|. Of course the withdrawal of one jaw will leave the spring and the other jaw free so that they can readily be taken out also.

The strength of the springs 35 is such that the movable supporting elements 33 are preferably mechanically retracted prior to the discharge of the bottle and prior to the insertion of another bottle in the given support. Mechanical retraction enables us to use strong springs for accurate bottle positioning without chipping -the bottle by using it to press the supporting element 33 aside. In order to accomplish such retraction we preferably provide two sets of retracting cams both of which appear in side elevation in Fig. 2, and one of which appears in plan and end elevation in Figs. 4 and 5 respectively. While the cams diier in extent and form, their principle of operation is identical.

Prior to the unloading station H we provide a bridge plate 50 which spans the rails 8 in the same manner in which the bridge plate 5| extends across beneath the conveyor at the loading station A.V On the bridge plate 56 we mount pairs of cam elements 52 which are opposed in the same manner as the cam elements 53 which are mounted on the bridge 5| at the loading station. In each instance the arrangement is such that as the conveyor advances, the free end portions 43 of the sets of retractable bottle supporting ele- Lments 33 are engaged by the opposed cams and moved toward each other in opposition to the er height to be accurately engaged by the clamping portions of the supporting elements 33 and 34. For this purpose we mount upon the bridge plate 5| beneath the path of each bottle opening a supporting spring 62 and an anti-tilting spring 63, as best shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The supporting springs 62 receive resiliently the iinpact of the incoming bottles and assure the support of the bottles with their bead portions in line with the bead receiving curves 39 of the clamping elements 33 and 34 of the carrier. Since the bottle will be inclined when inserted into the carrier at station A, it is desirable to employ the f of the conveyor movement, the cam will release compression of the interposed springs 35. -As a result, the relatively movable bottle engaging elements are retracted from the relatively xed bottle engaging elements, leaving suicient clearance so that the bead portion of the bottle may be freelyinserted or removed.

When this happens, as each successive carrier is approaching station H, the bottle will be left loose within the frame. Beneath each opening there is a lever 55 having a bottle ejecting terminal portion 56 which is normally retracted in the dotted line lposition of the lever shown in Fig. 2.

-As the cam shaft 57 revolv, its cam 58 will engage the cam follower roller 59 carried by one of the levers 55, with the result that, at the proper time, the rock shaft 550 will be oscillated and each lever will be lifted to the full line position shown in Fig. 2, thereby ejecting the bottles out of their respective openings on to the receiver 60 which is thereupon erected by means of the link 600 from the position` shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The bottle receiving position shown in Fig. l may conveniently be defined by any suitable stop such as the lug 60| on the bottle receiver and the complementary lug 602 on the supporting bracket (as shown in Fig. 2). The compression spring 603 (Fig. 1) absorbs any excess movement of the actuating rod 600 after the stops 60| and 602 are engaged. I

. The position of the head 605 on the actuating link or rod 600 will determine the upright position of the bottle receiver 60. In this latter position the bottles are delivered on to a cross conveyor 6| by means of which they may be removed. The guard' holds the ibottles upright on the cross conveyor at the time of delivery thereto.

As each carrier leaves the unloading station H the termination of the cam elements 52 will allow the movable jaws 33 of the bottle supports to close temporarily, only to be re-opened as the carriers approach the loading station A by the engagementof the surfaces 43 with the xed cam elements 53. At station A the bottles are inserted into the conveyor holders either mechanically or by hand, the means of insertion being unimportant to the present invention.

It is, however, important to note that we pro- .vide at the loading station temporary supports for the individual bottles to ensure that each bottle will be maintained temporarily at the propthe movable supporting elements 33 of the bottle engaging vclamp and these elements will clampingly co-operate with the iixed elements 34 to retain the bead portions of the bottle so that each bottle will be`rigidly supported in the position illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 6 throughout its traverse of the machine. i

, 'I'he conveyor is preferably given a step by step movement, each step being equivalent to the distance from center to center of consecutive carrier elements. I By locating the chain propelling means immediately adjacent station H we keep all slack out of the chain throughoutthat ght which passes the washing jets, thus assuring accurate registration of the several carriers with the successive jets during each dwell of the conveyor. We prefer to use the conveyor advancf ing means which includes levers and 66 pivoted on a rock shaft 61 at opposite sides of the machine, the lever 65 having a slotted extension 66 engaged by the crank 69 which is mounted on shaft 51'. The levers B5 and 66 respectively are each provided with dogs 10 adjustably limited as to movement in one direction by meansv of the set screws 1|, and free to move pivotally in the opposite direction about the fulcrum pins 12 whereby they are connected with their respective levers.

Each of the dogs 10 is in the plane of the rollers I8. When the levers oscillate in a' clockwise direction' as viewed in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the dogs swing to the left and upwardly to ride over the rollers, dropping by gravity behind each roller. During thecounterclockwise oscillation of the levers 65 on shaft 61, each dog will engage the adjacent roller and `wil1 simultaneously engage its adjustable stop '|I so that the rollers will be propelled by the lcounterclockwise movement of ythe arms, thus advancing the entire conveyor one I right side up and Will be full of the soaking liquid and will be entirely surrounded by such liquid.

As the bottle approaches station D it will gradually be inverted and drained of its' contents which will return to the soaking tank, leaving the bottle empty.

At station E the bottle will, in three successive advances, stop in registration with washing jets delivered from the pipes shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and supplied by a header 85 connected with pump 16.

l The water discharged by the washing jets'supplied by 4pump 16 is returned by tray |05 to the l of the intermittently moving conveyor.

sump |06 from which leads the intake of pump 16.

Since some of the water taken from the sump |06 is delivered by pump 16 to the pre-rinse jet 15 as already described, it is necessary to replace this water. This is done by means of a supply line |01 leading from any desired external source to the overhead shower spray 108 and the rinsing spray |09.

Before the cleaned and rinsed bottle leavesthe machine it is treated at station G by a chlorinated jet from pipe I l which is supplied from a special pump IH circulating the sterilizing liquid from the sump H2 in which such liquid collects. Thence the bottles proceed to the point of discharge and are ejected by lever 55 as already described, to make room for the insertion of other bottles.

It will be noted that there is an opening at H5 transversely through the center of the casing. Within this opening the pumps 16 and I Il and the speed reducer IIS (from which shaft 51 is driven by chain II1) are all accessible.

The organization of the machine is exceptionally compact, all of the mechanism being selected with a view to its accommodation in an unusually small amount of space, considering the capacity of the apparatus.

In accordance with the foregoing description applicants have provided an improved bottle gripping mechanism for an automatic bottle washer in which each of the bottles, as it is being carried through the bottle washer, is individually gripped at spaced points about the bottle head, thereby exposingsubstantially all of the entire surface of the bottle to the effect of the washing water and rinsing sprays. By virtue of this minimum contact of the surface of the bottle by the metal gripping fingers of the bottle supports, a minimum amount of cooling water or heating water is required to effect a temperature change of the bottle.

By positively gripping the bottle and maintaining it in predetermined relative position with respect to the gripping mechanism which supports each respective bottle, it is possible to so arrange the various Washing and rinsing mechanisms as to secure the desired alinement between these washing or rinsing mechanisms and the bottle to be washed during the various periods of di/11 e novel construction of the bottle pockets and the manner 0f supporting them on the transversely extending frames of the bottle conveyor provide an organization of parts in which various elements of the supporting pockets can be easily removed or inserted into the supporting frames of the conveyor to facilitate the ready, rapid repair of the washer in case it becomes necessary.

The invention has been described in its preferred embodiment, as disclosed ln the various drawings. However, the novel principles thereof can well be applied in various modifications of the specific apparatus disclosed. The invention is, therefore, not to berestricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and the spirit of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In a bottle washer, `the combination with laterally spaced conveyor elements, of a frame connected at its ends with said elements and having side bars and intervening partitions formn ing at least one opening, jaw members connected with partitions at opposite sides of the opening and being relatively `movable in a. direction transverse with respect to the movement of said conveyor elements, said jaw members having bottleengaging portions spaced from the frame formed to t a bottle adjacent the mouth thereof, spring means urging one of said jaw members toward the other with sufcient force to enable said jaw members to comprise the sole support for a bottle in said opening to maintain said bottle normally out of contact with said frame and partitions, and means disposed in the path of movement of said spring-pressed jaw member for acting on the spring-pressed jaw member in opposition to the spring, whereby to separate the bottle-cngaging portions of said jaw members.

2. In a bottle washing machine having discharging and loading stations, the combination with a conveyor operable between said stations and provided with a series of bottle receiving openings', and jaws associated with each of the respective openings and relatively movable for clamping engagement upon bottles positioned in the respective openings, means for actuating the conveyor, means for maintaining said jaws normally in bottle-engaging positions, means in the path of movement of said jaws at said stations for mechanically acting upon said jaws to open said jaws for the release of a bottle to be discharged and the reception of another bottle to be loaded on said conveyor, and means disposed in the path of advance of said jaws at said stations lor supporting bottles in predetermined jaw-engaging positions.

3. In a bottle washing machine, the combination with a conveyor including a series of unitary frames providing bottle receiving openings, of relatively iixed jaw members carried by said frames in association with the respective openings, relatively movable jaw members carried by said frames in association with the respective openings, individual springs acting on each of the relatively movable jaw members in directions to urge them individually and independently of other movable jaw members toward the respective complementary fixed jaw members for mechanically retaining bottles in the respective openings, the relatively movable jaw members having cam operable portions, and cam means disposed at a predetermined station in the path of conveyor advance for acting on the cam operable means of the movable jaw members in a direction to retract said members to bottle releasing positions, each of said movable and complementary xed jaw members being so constructed and arranged as to form a pocket-like construction, the walls of which aid in guiding the bottles to be clamped into proper clamping positions.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with spaced conveyor elements, of a series of carrier frames connected at their ends with the respective elements and each providing a number of work receiving openings, iixedjaw members connected with the respective carrier frames adjacent each opening and having work engaging portions, movable jaw'members connected with said frames adjacent the respective openings and having work engaging portions respectively opposed to the corresponding portions of the fixed jawmembers, the movable jaw members of two adjacent openings being disposed back to back and movable in opposite directions transversely of the path of conveyor movement, a. spring interposed between said last mentioned members for urging said members toward their asoman respective fixed jaw members into clamping engagement with work disposed in the respective openings, and cam meansl disposed in the path of conveyor advance for retracting the movable jaw members toward each other to work releasing positions.

5. In a bottle handling conveyor, a carrier frame comprising side bars and pairs of partitions subdividing the space between said bars into openings, movable jaw members connected with alternate pairs of partitions to move opposltely for engagement with work in adjacent openings, spring means interposed between said members `for urging them in opposite directions toward work engaging positions, and other jaw members connected with remaining pairs of partitions and opposed to said spring actuated members, each oi the several jaysr members having its central portions spaced from the bead of a bottle for engagement with such a bead only at points peripherally spaced thereon, whereby to leave other portions of a, bottle bead accessible for cleansing.

6. In a bottle handling conveyor, a carrier l frame comprising side bars and pairs of partitions subdividing the space between said bars into openings, movable jaw members connected with adjacent partitions to move oppositely for engagement with work in adjacent openings, spring means interposed between said members for lurgingthem in opposite directions toward work engaging positions, and other jaw members connected with other partitions and opposed to said spring actuated members, each of the several jaw members having its central portions spaced from' the bead of a bottle vfor engagement with such a bead only at points peripherally spaced thereon, whereby to leave other portions of Aa bottle bead accessible for cleansing, said spring actuated jaw members being extended beyond their respective bead-engaging portions and apertured between said portions.

7. In a bottle washing machine, bottle-engaging jaws for supportingand rigidly positioning a bottle and formed to provide and maintain clearance between it and all portions of the surface of a bottle other than the bead, each of said jaws being concave in a manner complementary to the outer periphery of the bead of the bottle to be engaged thereby for clamping engagement about the bottle bead at points axially spaced from the bottle mouth, said concavity of the bead-engaging portion of the jaws also being such as to aiord contact with the bead only at peripherally spaced points thereon while selsewhere affording and maintaining clearance therefrom.

8. A" pair of jaws each in accordance withV claim 7, means mounting said jaws for relative movement in opposition to each other, means urging one of said jaws toward the other, said urged jaw having a cam operable portion projecting beyond its bead-engaging portion and being apertured at its bead-engaging portion to afford access to the bead engaged thereby, and means positioned below said jaws to support a bottle in jaw-engaging position when said jaws are being moved relative to each other.

9. The combination with a conveyor including a carrier frame, of work positioning jaws carried by said, frame and having work engaging portions tted to the Work to be engaged thereby,

temporarily retracting said last mentioned jaw,

and means disposed adjacent the cam means for resiliently supporting work inserted between said Jaws at a level such that the work will be accurately engaged by said jaws upon the release of the last mentioned jaw by thel cam.

10. In a bottle washing machine, the combination witha conveyor provided with a series. of carriers, of relatively xed and relatively movable jaw members mounted on the respective carriers and provided with bottle bead-engaging portions, means urging the relatively movable jaw members toward the relatively iixed jaw members for bottle bead engagement, cam means disposed in the path of jaw movement for mechanically retractingthe movable jaw members to bottle releasing positions, and a support adjacent the cam means in the path of bottle introduction at a level to sustain the mouth of a bottlel in registry with the bottle-engaging portions ofsaid jaw members to be engaged thereby upon the release of the movable jaw member by said cam means.

-11. In a Ibottle washing machine, the combination with a conveyor provided with a series of bottle carriers, of pairs of jaws associated with the respective carriers for bottle bead engagement, each of said pairs comprising a xed and a movable jaw, means urging the movable jaws of the respective carriers normally to bottle-engaging position, means at a predetermined station in the path of carrier advance for mechanically retracting the movable jaws from said position, and means independent of said jaws at said station for temporarily positioning bottles interposed into the respective carriers pending the engagel tended beyond lits bead engaging portion and apertured to afford access of cleansing water to portions of thel bead between lsaid points of said toric surfaces not in engagement with the bottle bead.

13. In a device of the character described, the

combination with laterally spaced conveyorvelements, of work carrying frames carried in alinement between said elements and providing work receiving openings, movable jaw members'connected with the respective frames and relatively movable transversely withrespect to the path of vconveyor movement, complementary xed 'jaw members carried by the frames which co-act with said relatively movable jaw members, all of said jaw members having work engaging portions spaced from said carrier frames for engagement with work in the respective openings when work, and separate cam devices operatively dis"- posed in the path of advance of said movable j a'wsl and at spaced points relative theretofor/'tem-V porarily moving each of said movable jaw memy bers away from its complementary iixed jaw member while at the work releasing position.

14. In a bottle washing machine or the like, the

combination with a. conveyor including a. series of frames transversely disposed to the direction ofzmovement of the conveyor and provided with bottle receiving openings, of a bottle supporting jaw element having bottle bead-engaging portions at diierent levels, each separately adapted for clamping engagement with a bead of a bottle and fixed to said frame, whereby beaded bottles of diierent sizes may be positively engaged and rigidly held in position during Ithe movement of said conveyor.

15. In a bottle washing machine, the combination with a. carrier, of sets of bottle-engaging jaws carried thereby, said carrier including an apertured frame element and one o! said jaws of each set having a portion extending through an aperture of said frame element and releasably interlocked in pivotal connection therewith, and means including a spring for normally confining said jaw to a position adapted for free pivotal movement thereof in which it will remain in interlocking connection with said frame element, said jaw being freely disengageable from said frame element when manipulated to the extreme bottle disengaging position.

CARL L. TRIER. JESSE W. FOGG. 

